Devices that employ wireless communication, including many modem audio video display devices (AVDD) such as TVs, can communicate using existing communication structure for a variety of tasks. Most simplistically AVDDs communicate with cable head ends over existing cable systems, with satellite receivers over an existing link, and of course with terrestrial broadcast stations over existing broadcast channels. Many AVDDs now also have Internet connectivity, communicating with the Internet using a wireless Internet interface that typically communicates with a wireless access point. In this way the AVDD can download firmware updates from an Internet server, obtain content from the Internet, enable a user to browse the Internet, etc.
As understood herein, ad hoc communication systems have become widespread in which typically short-range communication such as but not limited to Bluetooth is used on an ad hoc basis between two devices. Upon mutual detection the two devices can begin communicating on an individualized private short-range communication link. As an example of when ad hoc communication may be employed in a home, a user of a smart phone or camera may wish for the smart phone or camera to send images to the AVDD for display thereon of pictures or videos captured by the smart phone or camera or for playback on the AVDD of audio captured by the smart phone or camera.
As also understood herein, such communication can present issues for the user to overcome, particularly when the TV is communicating in the infrastructure mode. When this occurs, the user must decide whether to switch the smart or camera to the somewhat more complicated infrastructure mode to communicate with the AVDD, or switch the AVDD to the ad hoc mode, in which case communication of the AVDD in the infrastructure mode may be deleteriously interrupted unless the user is aware of the ongoing communication and takes manual steps to avoid interfering with it.